Point Me To First Class

Have you heard about the quiet Chase promotion that could be one of the biggest points-earning opportunities we've seen in years? In May 2026, Chase launched a promotion through the digital payment platform Paze that allows cardholders to earn 10 times Chase Ultimate Rewards points on eligible transactions—and up to 14 times on certain cards through the end of 2026. Dr. Michelle Walther and I discuss why we were initially skeptical of this opportunity and why we've become convinced it could be genuinely significant for points enthusiasts. Michelle and I break down how the Paze platform works, which Chase personal cards are eligible, what merchants currently accept Paze, and the surprising opportunities we've already discovered to maximize this promotion. We share the real purchases we've tested, the points we've already earned, the glitches we've encountered, and the stacking strategies that could generate enormous numbers of Chase points over the next seven months. We also discuss everything from Disney gift cards to DoorDash to gift card retailers like Newegg that make this promotion far more valuable than the merchant list initially suggests. Download your Paze Troubleshooting guide: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/170-paze-guide Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/chase-paze-promotion Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Have you ever fallen so in love with a city that you started seriously considering moving there? That's exactly what happened to us in Kyoto. In part two of our Japan spring break trip recap, my husband Brandon and I continue our family travel story as we settle into five nights at the Park Hyatt Kyoto, a property so beautiful that I can confidently say it's the most stunning hotel I've experienced anywhere in the world. Brandon and I share our honest take on each Kyoto activity we did as a family, from the interactive art experience at Team Labs that became our trip highlight to the Nintendo Museum visit that had Brandon rethinking our packing strategy, to discovering that the famous bamboo forest came with far more crowds than we expected. We also talk about the incredible food we ate that genuinely made us fantasize about relocating permanently, the travel decision I made for our journey home that turned into a stressful mistake, and the full accounting of what this entire nine-day trip actually cost. Listen as I break down every flight and hotel so you can see the real investment required to make this happen for a family of four. Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/japan-family-trip-recap-part-2 Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Have you ever been tempted to completely change your vacation plans because of an irresistible points deal? That's exactly what happened when Japan Airlines did a random first class award dump last April. I couldn't resist jumping on the opportunity to book our family of four in first class to Tokyo - even though it meant splitting us across two different flights and completely scrapping our original Mexico plans. For the first time in this podcast's history, my husband Brandon joins me at the mic to recap our spring break trip to Japan with our two kids. In part one of this two-part series, Brandon and I walk through how this accidental trip came together, what it was like flying Japan Airlines first class as a family, our stay at the newly renovated Park Hyatt Tokyo, and the reality of traveling with kids in Japan - from the Pokémon Cafe to nearly missing the bullet train to Kyoto. This is an honest, unfiltered look at what goes right and what goes wrong even with advanced planning, as we cover the flight drama, the Tokyo highlights, and everything that happened before we made it to Kyoto. Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/japan-family-trip-recap-part-1 Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Have you ever felt like you're so caught up in your daily roles and responsibilities that you've lost touch with who you are beneath all of that? Dr. Stacey Funt, a radiologist, health coach, and founder of LH Adventure Travel, believes that travel has the power to help us reconnect: not just with the world around us, but with ourselves. She curates wellness and adventure group trips for women to some of the most transformative destinations on earth, from trekking the Inca Trail to exploring the Atlas Mountains to hiking in the Himalayas. But the real transformation doesn't come from the destinations themselves. It comes from what happens when women finally give themselves permission to step away from everything they're responsible for and into an experience that's entirely their own. Dr. Stacey Funt and I discuss why that permission is often the hardest part, what changes when you remove the mental load of planning and managing everything, and why traveling with a group of like-minded women creates such a unique space for vulnerability and connection. She also opens up about how a solo trek in Nepal during one of the darkest periods of her life became the catalyst for building a business around creating these kinds of experiences for others. Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/wellness-adventure-travel-stacey-funt Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

If you're a business owner who pays payroll for yourself or your employees, you might be sitting on one of the biggest untapped points-earning opportunities in your business—and it doesn't require opening new cards or chasing welcome bonuses. DeAndre Coke, a financial advisor and points expert, returns to the show to give us a much-needed update on earning credit card points for payroll expenses using the Zil Money platform. We first talked about this strategy back in Episode 105 last year, but right after that conversation aired, the entire system experienced major disruptions. DeAndre and I discuss what happened over the past year, what's different and working reliably now, and how business owners can approach this strategy moving forward. DeAndre and I walk through the step-by-step process for how this works, which credit cards are currently the best options for maximizing points, and the real math behind the ROI—including the processing fees, platform costs, and how to actually evaluate whether this makes sense for your business. We also cover critical best practices to avoid disrupting your payroll and who this strategy is and isn't right for. Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/earning-points-on-payroll-update Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy